Boat



Aug. 11, 1931. c. G. RENTOS 1,818,356 BOAT Original Filed Dec. 7. 1928ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 11, 1931 W 5 UNITED, STATES v consrAN'rINos e.RENTOS, or" BROOKLYN, NEW iron c, assreivon or ONE-THIRD 'roPATllvNviT*v OFFIC SOTERIO$ NICHOLSON, OF 'WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA BOAT - Application filed December 7,1928, Serial 110,324,394,Renewed mam 4, 1 931. 7

1.3 provide a manual propelling device for boats which is of a portablenature and which can be readily incorporated with boats already inexistence.

Another important object ofthe invention '10 is to provide a manualpropelling means for boats embodying a casing for supporting a propellershaft having secured thereto a screw propellelgthe casing being adaptedto be'secured to the bottom of a row boat .or the like with acylindrical hollow casing extending into the boat supporting a driveshaft having operative connection with the propeller shaft and means formanually rotating the drive shaft. I

A further object of the invention is the provision ofnovel means forrotating the drive shaft embodying a pair of rotatable shafts havingoppositely extending hand cranks secured thereto, the shafts having 7mgengagement with the Opposite sides of a pinion secured to the driveshaft, the arsuch as to permit the rotation of the cranks in the samedirection ..with a'positive and steady drive on the drive shafts;

Afurther object of the'invention is the provision of novel means foroperating the rudder of theboat whereby the rudder can beactuated bysuitable foot pedals, novel means being provided for supporting therudder and for guiding the control cables extending from the footpedals.

Asti'll further object of the invention is to provide a novel propellingmeans and steering mechanism for boats of the above character which willbe durable and efficient in use, one that willbe simple and easy tomanufacture, and one which can .be placed upon the'market andincorporated with a boat at a low ocost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be,hereinafter more specifically described,

opposite extending beveled gears for meshclaimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying i line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of thearrows, illustrating the, novel operating mechanism for the drive shaft,

and k v v V,

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary vertical section through the rear endof the boat taken on the line H of Figure 2 looking in the direction ofthe arrows illustrating the novelsteering means. n

Referring to the ,drawingsnin detail, wherein similar referencech'aractersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter A indicates a boat,

"adjacent to the rear end thereof, The stern 7 B my novel propellingmeans therefor and f O my novel steering, means. rangement of the gearsand shafts being of the boat'is provided with the usual keel block 12. pr v My novel propelling means B comprises a casing 15, which can beformed of sheet metal or wood as desired and this casing able wall 16and that the housing is provided with a depending keel block 17. Ipreferably shape the casing" or housing 15 to conformto theconfiguration of the bottom of the boat and the forward end ofthehousing cated bythe reference character'18 to reduce friction. duringthe passage of thefboat through the water, It being understood that thecasing is to be secured. to the botcan be provlded with taperlng'sldesas 1nd1-'*- tom of the boat as a unit and suitable bolts 19 can beutilized for this purpose.

The casing 15 supports the rearwardly extending propeller shaft 20,which shaft can be mounted in suitable roller or ball bearings 21. It isto be noted that two of the bearings 21 are arranged on opposite sidesof the casing 15 and a collar secured to the shaft can bear against the.outer bearing. This takes up the thrust on the shaft 20 irrespective ofwhich direction the shaft is rotated. can be carried by the keel block12 for the propeller shaft and this hearing can alsobe in the nature ofa ball or roller hearing if preferred.

The propeller shaft 20 has secured to the rear end thereof in anydesired way a screw propeller 23. Cooperating with the housing or casing15, I provide an upright cylindrical casing or hollow standard 24 whichcan be secured to the bottom of the boat in any desired way or thisstandard can be carried by the casing 15 and the boat can be providedwith an opening 25 through which the casing or hollow standard can beinserted. The upper end of the cylindrical casing 25 or hollow standardsupportsv a U-shaped head or bracket 26, which bracket can also supporta sheet metal gear boxing or casing 27. Rotatably mounted within thehollow standard or cylindrical casing 24 is a drive shaft 28, whichshaft can also bemounted in suitable roller orball bearings. The upperend of the shaft extends through the U-shaped head 26 and has keyed orotherwise secured thereto a beveled pinion 29. The lower end of theshaft extends through the opening 25 into the casing 15 and has keyed orotherwise secured thereto the relatively large drive gear 30. This gearis preferably provided with two annular rows of teeth 31, which havemeshing therewith beveled drive pinions 32 keyed or otherwise secured tothe propeller shaft 20. The arms of the U-shaped head or yoke 26 eachrotatably support short shafts 33' and 84 and these shafts can besupported by roller bearings if preferred. It 'is to be noted that theshaft '33 is of hollow construction and receives the inner reduced end'35 of the shaft 34. The shaftBS has keyed or otherwise secured theretoa relatively large beveled drive. gear 36, while the shaft 34 has keyedor otherwise secured thereto a relatively large drive bevel gear 37.

,The gears 36 and 37are of the samejsize and mesh with the oppositesides of the beveled pinion 29. The outer ends ofthe shafts 33 and 34have rigidly connected therewith ,Clrive hand cranks 88 and fromtheconstruction illustrated,it can be seen that when the cranks are turnedin opposite directions by the hands of the userfthat the shaft 28 willbe positively rotated in an even manner If preferred a bearing 22 thetiller cables 50 are trained.

without undue strain thereon. A person can sit on the seat 11 andmanipuate the cranks and thus effectively drive the boat through thewater.

The steering means C comprises a rudder 40, the inner edge of whichcarries eyes 41 which are rotatably mounted upon the steering post 42.The steeringpost 42 is carried at its upper end in a suitable bracket 43which can be bolted to the stern of the boat and its lower end in therear end of a strap 44 which is secured to the keel block 17 carried bythe casing 15. It is to be noted that the strap'44, the rigid rudderpost 42,

and thebottom of the boat forms a protecting guard for the propellershaft 20 and the propeller 23.

The upper end of the rudder post 42 has rigidly secured thereto asubstantially semicircular guide plate or disc 45, which is providedwith a peripheral groove 46. The upper end of the rudder is shaped toreceive the guide disc 45 and carries a guide disc or roller 47 whichtravels over the upper face of the substantially semi-circular disc 45.

Adjacent to the cylindrical housing 24 is a stationary rigid supportingpost 48 which has secured to the opposite faces thereof guide pulleys49. Each of the guide pulleys '49 has trained thereabout a tiller cable50,

be also noted that the opposite sides of the substantially semi-circularguide disc 45 is also provided with eyes 58 through which The rear endsof the tiller cables are connected as at 54 with the oppsite ends of atiller block 55 which is bolted to the upper end of=the rudder. It is tobe noted that this tiller block carries the relatively small guide discor roller '47. The forward ends of the cables 50 are brought down fromthepulleys 49 andare secured to the forward ends of foot pedals 57 whichare hingedly connected as at 58 to attaching plates 59. These plates arein turn rigidly connected to the bottom of the boat. Bythisconstruction, it can be seen that'a person being upon the seat 11and operating the hand cranks 38 canrest his feet on the foot pedals 57and by pressing on one pedal or'the other can effectively and easilychange the course of the boat.

' It isobvious from the foregoing, that I have. provided a simple meansfor propelling'and guiding a boat through the water which will eliminatethe. difiiculties. contingent with the rowing of a'boat'. I Changes indetails may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope ofthis invention, but f lVhat I claim as new is:

p 1. The combination with a boat, of a propelling mechanism thereforcomprising acasing adapted to be secured to the exterior communicationwith the casing, a propeller shaft rotatably supported by the housingand extending rearwardly therefrom, a propeller on saidshaft, a driveshaft rotatably mounted within the housing, a U-shaped head supported bythe housing, and a shaft rotatably supported by each arm of the head,the shafts being rotatable one relative to the other, the inner end ofone shaft being rotatably received within the inner end of the othershaft, hand cranks secured to the last mentioned shaft for rotationtherewith, a

inion on the drive shaft, and relatively arge, gears secured to theinner ends of the shafts carried by the arms meshing with the oppositesides of the pinion.

2. The combination with a boat, of a propelling mechanism thereforcomprising a casing adapted to be secured to the bottom of a boat on theexterior thereof, the forward end of the casing being tapered to providea leading edge, a keel block carried by the lower face of the casing, apropeller shaft rotatably supported by the casing and extendingrearwardly therefrom, a propeller on said propeller shaft, a cylindricalhousing extending into the boat and communicating with the casing, apair of spaced pinions on the propeller shaft, a relatively large'drivegear on the lower end of the drive shaft arranged in said casing havingconcentric rows of teeth meshing with said pinions, a keel strap securedto the .keel block and extending in parallel relation to the propellershaft and terminating in rear of the propeller, a U-shaped headsupported by the housing, drive means supported by the head for thedrive shafts, and a rudder structure supported by the boat and the rearend of the keel strap.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CONSTANTINOS G. RENTOS.

